From one closer to another: Miller catches Fingers

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos' A's Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- Two generations of A’s pitching dominance collided over the weekend.

Before Sunday’s series finale against the Twins at the Coliseum, the 1974 A’s World Series championship team was honored with a pregame ceremony to celebrate its 50th anniversary. To conclude the festivities, ‘74 World Series MVP Rollie Fingers threw a ceremonial first pitch. On the receiving end behind home plate was flamethrowing closer Mason Miller.

“It was super cool,” Miller said ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Angels. “We know we play in a historic building with the Coliseum. But it takes it to a whole other level when that team and those players come back. Being able to share in that moment for them, it was super cool to be there just as a fan of the game. To catch that pitch for him was really cool.”

Miller, 25, is far too young to have watched Fingers pitch, though he is well aware of the Hall of Famer’s illustrious career. How could he not be? Fingers’ No. 34 is retired by the A’s and hangs high atop the Coliseum on Mount Davis. Fingers is even incorporated into all A’s home games as one of three characters in the Hall of Famer Big Head race, along with fellow Hall members Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley.

What Fingers did in that 1974 World Series will likely never be replicated. He earned either a save or a win in all four A’s victories over the Dodgers to help bring Oakland its third consecutive World Series title.

“Closing games the way he did -- but also throwing multiple innings to finish the game -- was really impressive,” Miller said. “I’m happy that the game has moved a different way now. Throwing as much as he did and as often as he did was really a testament to the type of pitcher he was. He pitched four out of the five games in the World Series, which is insane.”

Fingers fired a perfect strike to Miller. Shortly after, the two convened in front of the mound for a picture and a quick chat.

“To see how sharp he still is was really cool,” Miller said of the 77-year-old Fingers. “He was cracking jokes. As far as closing games, he told me, ‘Just throw strike one.’ As closers, we’re very honed in on strike one and winning 1-1 counts. It was cool.”

The two connecting on Sunday’s first pitch was also fitting in that they shared a similar start to their big league journeys. Much like Miller, Fingers was a starting pitcher early in his professional career before transitioning into a bullpen role and often closing out the final two or three innings of a game.

Given Miller’s dominance as a closer this year, it’s unlikely he will pitch in any other role going forward. The rookie entered Tuesday with 14 saves while leading all Major League relievers in strikeouts (60) and holding the second-lowest opponents' batting average (.132). His electric arm continues to amaze, as Miller’s 245 pitches of 100 mph or more are by far the most by any pitcher in the Majors. (He has thrown 103 more such pitches than the D-backs' Justin Martinez, who is second with 142.)

“I’ll take my name in the same sentence as him any time somebody wants to do that,” Miller said of early career comparisons to Fingers. “It’s really cool to be around greatness like that.”

Normally when an A’s player catches a ceremonial first pitch, that baseball gets autographed as a gift to the thrower. In this case, however, Miller was the one who got Fingers’ signature on the ball.

“I wasn’t going to ask him for his autograph, but he offered it, which was super cool,” Miller said. “I’m going to keep that one. That’s probably the coolest autographed ball I’ve ever gotten. I’ve gotta hang on to that.”